Keynote Speaker

Cynthia Bissett Germanotta
President & Co-Founder, Born This Way Foundation

Cynthia Bissett Germanotta is President and Co-founder of Born This Way Foundation, which was launched alongside her daughter, Stefani (Lady Gaga), in 2012 with the passionate intent to “empower youth” and “inspire kindness and bravery.” Under her leadership, Born This Way Foundation has established connections with over 150,000 young people and partners, conducted cutting edge research and been the recipient of numerous honors, including the Family Online Safety Institute’s award for Outstanding Achievement in 2012, the National Association of School Psychologists Special Friend to Children Award for 2013, and the Anti-Defamation League’s 2015 No Place for Hate Making a Difference Award.  She was most recently honored by Dancing Classrooms and Greater Boston PFLAG for her advocacy for youth in the mental health space. Germanotta is a former telecommunications executive whose career in sales & management spanned twenty-five years.A graduate of West Virginia University, Mrs. Germanotta went on to earn her Masters Degree in Public Administration from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C., matriculating from both undergraduate and graduate schools with honors. Mrs. Germanotta has been an advocate for the Women’s Council on Heart Health for the Ronald O. Perelman Heart Institute, in addition to being on the Board of the Empowerment Initiative at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She also served on the Ladies Auxiliary Committee of The Columbus Citizens Foundation – as well as receiving the CCF’s Humanitarian Award for 2015 - and is a member of the Board of Governors for the Parsons New School of Design.